A man from Dum Dum was looking for a “value-for-money” Europe tour in October.

A resident of Naktala came looking for a “tiger-sighting” trip to Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh.

Both were among visitors to eastern India’s biggest tourism fair that started in Calcutta on Friday.

Anandabazar Patrika Tourist Spot 2024 began with the promise of being a one-stop solution for all travel queries to destinations in India and abroad.

The three-day fest at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra is the 12th edition of the event.

The fest is supported by the Union tourism ministry. Bihar, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh are the partner states.

Pranav Prakash, regional director east, ministry of tourism, eastern regional office, was present at the opening ceremony on Friday.

More than 70 stalls set up by different tour operators were buzzing throughoutthe day.

Air travel data show that domestic travel has already shaken off the Covid scare.

At the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, the operators said the demand for international trips was also back with a bang.

Europe, Egypt and Vietnam were among the sought-after destinations, they said.

Soumendu Ghosh, a Dum Dum resident, had come to the venue with his niece, Muskan Singh.

“We are planning a family trip to Europe this Puja. We talked to multiple operators. It is good to have many options under one roof,” said Ghosh.

Samim Halder, who came with his wife Afsana and two-year-old daughter Suzzain, was also planning to visit Europe in October.

“I will take detailed plans from as many operators as possible and then compare them minutely before making the next move. This is going to be our first foreign trip. I have to make sure it is worth every penny,” said Halder, who came from Metiabruz.

Every stall had visitors, most of them planning a Puja trip. The operators had pamphlets for customised trips.

Mainak Chakraborty, who came from Naktala, loves visiting forests with a group of friends.

“We are planning to visit Madhya Pradesh this year, just after the Puja,” said Chakraborty, who visited Kaziranga last summer.

“United by a shared goal of promoting tourism and driving economic growth, the diverse group of stakeholders have come together to enhance the overall experience of the visitors and take them to their dream destinations, this Puja vacation,” the organisers said.